Book Excerpts From Chapters One and Two
(Please note that the pictures/illustrations that are in these chapters are not shown here as they would be in the original book that would be ordered)
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The Invitation
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It was the start of a perfect summer morning. The sky was lit up with deep hues of red, orange and pinks as the sun was starting to show itself.
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The birds were beginning to come alive for the day, and were singing in their best voices. All around, nature was waking up with the days first rays of sun light. Various different animals were going about their business finding food for their young ones.
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Victor E. Standings was sitting near the waters edge, deep in thought. This was his favorite time of the day. He loved coming out to the waters edge to just sit back and watch the animals, as well as the sun rise.
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He was always amazed at the way that nature had its own way of telling that it was morning and that it was time to come alive for the day. A big smile spread across his face as he sat in awe of that realization.
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Victor sat with his back against a tree, looking out over the water toward the horizon where the sun was now peeking slightly over the top of the vast mountain range in the distance.
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He did not let too many people know that he liked to come out to the waters edge in the morning to spend time with nature. He thought that they would think that he was being 'mushy' for someone his age.
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Only his two closest friends, Percy and Faith, knew about his secret place. He thought about Percy for a moment. 'Percy' was short for Perseverance, and Victor often wondered why Percy's family had named him what they did.
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He had heard that Percy's Grandfather was the one who had thought of naming him that, but after who or what, he did not know. Someday he would have to be brave and ask his friend. Victor was sure that Percy must have asked his parents about the origin of his 'family' name. After all, Victor thought that Percy must be curious about it too!
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Victor stretched his legs, and stood up. He walked over to the water and leaned over it, looking down at his reflection. He always thought that it was strange how the water could appear to be as reflective as a mirror. Looking down in to the clear water, he saw himself grin.
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The gentle touch of the warm summer morning breeze blew through the dark waves and slight curls that were on his head. Victor liked his hair. He thought that it made him look different from everyone else that had straighter hair.
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He smiled again, and his brown eyes appeared to twinkle in the water, making him grin even more. He turned away from the waters edge and started walking back down the narrow dirt path toward where his home was.
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He liked this time of year when there was no school and no rush to go anywhere or to do anything. He glanced at the woods that were on either side of him, looking for more animals that may have come out of hiding.
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As he walked along the path toward his home, he walked quietly so that he could watch the animals at play. This was another one of his favorite things to do. He loved to just walk among the nature and watch all of the animals around him.
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This was also one of the reasons why he loved where his house was located. His home sat in an opening at the edge of the woods, and was adorned with large stones on the outside of it. Victor thought that the stone exterior of his home fit in really well with the surroundings.
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The interior of the home was built with knotty pine, giving one the feeling of being in the rugged outdoors. Along the walls there were huge picture windows showing panoramic views of the beauty of the nature all around them. Victor referred to his home as 'his cabin in the woods'. He never got tired of living there, as he loved it so very much.
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As he walked along the path toward his home, he couldn't help but smile at all of the different kinds of animals that were busy playing all around him. Many of these critters he saw everyday, and so he gave them names. Many of them were now used to their 'names', and came right up to Victors outstretched hand when he called out to them.
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Many days Victor would bring scraps of food from home to the woods to feed his animal friends. Other times he would collect acorns and other 'natural treats' that he found on the path, and he would feed the animals those treats as well.
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As Victor approached the opening in the woods where his home was at, he could see that his two friends were already there. They were sitting on the steps of the front porch of the house, waiting for him to return.
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As he got closer to the house, his friend, Percy, looked up and saw him. He stood up, and came rushing over to Victor. “We've been waiting a long time for you to return! I've got something that I need to show you!” exclaimed Percy.
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“Ah, Percy! Don't be going and getting all excited. You know that I like to have my morning time to myself! What's the rush?” Victor asked his friend.
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“Look at this!” Percy excitedly replied while shoving a piece of paper in Victor's face. “Hold that thing back! How do you expect me to read it if you have it so close to my face that I can't even see it?” asked Victor.
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Percy sighed as he pulled the paper back. He felt like pacing back and forth. He was trying his hardest not to be so anxious, but he just couldn't help it. He took a deep breath and tried his best not to get too excited again, so that he could explain to Victor what the 'treasure' was that he had come upon.
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He sighed again, this time exhaling slowly, and started to speak. “Okay, here it is. I was doing some research on ancestry, you know, family trees and stuff like that. I had gotten interested in this sort of thing from an assignment that I had to do for school. Well, I got my family information rather quickly, and so I thought that I would do some research again, this time getting the information about your family line, and you wouldn't believe what I found!” he exclaimed. Percy's voice was now starting to get louder and louder, the more excited that he became.
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Victor looked intently upon his friend and couldn't help but smile. This wasn't the first time that he saw his friend so excited, but for some reason this time seemed to be different. His friend was so excited that he was actually fidgeting on his feet.
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Faith, on the other hand, was still sitting on the steps smiling and shaking her head. She stood up and slowly walked toward Victor. She also couldn't help but smile at Percy's excitement.
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She was very pretty for a young woman of her age. She had long dark auburn hair that swung from side to side when she walked, and she had blue eyes that always seemed to shimmer. Her lightly freckled complexion was so clear that her skin looked like porcelain.
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“I've been trying to get him to calm down all morning! He came by my house early this morning so excited about what he had found that I had quite a hard time trying to understand what it was that he was trying to say!” Faith said. “He explained some of it to me, though I'm not sure that I understand any of it. Percy, calm that blond head of yours down enough to tell us now!” she teasingly scolded him.
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Percy looked at Faith with a scowl on his face, and quickly turned his attention back to Victor. Again he sighed, and again exhaling slowly, he started telling Victor what he had found. “Okay, you know how you always wished that you knew whether or not your Dad and Mom had any other living relatives? Well, it turns out that they do! And you're never going to guess who it is!” Percy exclaimed excitedly.
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He had Victors full attention now. For years Victor had been wondering if his Dad and Mom had any living relatives. And now here he was finding out that they do! His parents had died when Victor was very young, and a friend of his Dad's was now raising him.
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Victor often thought about asking his Dad's friend about his parents family, but he really did not want to bother him with it. He figured that if there were any of his parents family out there somewhere that his Dad's friend was aware of, that he surely would have said something about it by now.
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The way that it was, his Dad's friend never talked about anybody that he knew of to be related to his parents, and they never went to visit anyone. Nobody that he knew to be family ever came to see them neither. The only company that Victor was used to getting were his two friends that he was with now.
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Victor stood staring at Percy, waiting for him to tell him the rest of what he knew. Growing impatient waiting for a reply, Victor finally broke the silence. “Well, good grief! Go on! Don't just leave me hanging! Tell me the rest!” Victor about yelled at him.
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“Okay, so I did the research, and I found out that your Grandfather is still ALIVE! And what's more, I also found out that not only is he alive, but that he is also ROYALTY! And not only that, but he is also the HIGHEST RANKING and most POWERFUL WARRIOR that there is, the ONE most sought after, and that he has an army that is bigger than any army that this world has ever seen!” Percy was screaming at Victor now. “And there's more!”
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Victor's heart started thumping in his chest, and it felt like his blood was rushing all through his body now. His eyes lit up and grew wide with excitement at the news that he was hearing, and he grinned from ear to ear. He hadn't been this excited for years. He could barely contain his excitement. “There's more? Tell me!” Victor demanded.
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“I read on the research paper that your Grandfather lives just two villages over! The paper also had an address on it of where he resides. So I wrote him a letter and told him that 'we' had read an article about him, and were wondering if 'we' could meet him, and he replied back with this!” Percy excitedly told him as he once again thrust the paper that he had in his hand back toward Victor.
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Victor looked at him and his eyes got even wider. He now had many thoughts running through his head. He tried to keep his mind focused on what Percy was saying, but his thoughts raced ahead of him.
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His dream had come true! He had family somewhere out there! Not only did he have family somewhere out there, but that 'somewhere' was close by! And not only was that 'somewhere' close by, but his Grandfather was ROYALTY! And not only was his Grandfather Royalty, but he was also the most sought after WARRIOR! And not only was he the most sought after Warrior, but he also had the hugest army that this world has ever seen!
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Victor could not believe what he had just been told! He pinched his arm to see if he was dreaming, and realized that he was not. Then he reached over and pinched Percy's arm, giving it a good twist while he was at it.
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“Ouch! What did you do that for?” asked Percy as he winced and rubbed his arm. Victor looked at him and grinned. “Sorry. I only wanted to make sure that you were not just a dream and that you were really here telling me that I have family close by!” Victor exclaimed.
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“Yes, you have family close by!” Percy shouted to him with pure joy in his voice. He once again thrust the piece of paper that he had in his hand toward Victor. Victor appeared to not even see it. He was too preoccupied with thoughts about what he had just been told.
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“Hello! Victor! Are you there?” Percy asked as he waved the piece of paper that he had in front of Victor's face. Victor focused his attention back on Percy. He looked at the paper that Percy was waving in front of him. “What? Oh, yeah. You were trying to show me something. Well! What is it?” Victor asked as he took the paper from Percy's hand.
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Victor looked at the paper that was now in his hand. He saw that it was not just a piece of paper like he originally thought, but that it was an invitation. His thoughts raced wildly as he wondered what on earth he could possibly be invited to.
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He stood staring at the paper for a few minutes. His heart was beating wildly in his chest as he thought about the possibilities of the invitation. What if it was an invitation so grand that Victor could not even imagine the magnitude of it? What if it wasn't an invitation to get to know his Grandfather, but rather just an invitation to learn more about him? What if it was an invitation to meet someone else other than his Grandfather?
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Finally he could no longer stand the wonder of it. Now he just had to see what it was all about! Slowly he brought the invitation up to where he could see it more clearly. He stared at the writing on the front of it, and his heart skipped a beat as he read what it said...
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A Special Invitation
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...is what was written on the front of it. Victor sucked in his breath as the realization sank in that his Grandfather was actually inviting them to come to see him. With shakinghands, he opened up the invitation and read the inside of it...
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Your presence is being requested for a very special
occasion at the earliest of your convenience.
I would be honored to have you as my guests,
and I look forward to seeing you in the near future.
The address is as follows:
777 Completion Avenue,
located in the village of Splendour.
Come as you are!
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The color drained from Victor's face as he read the inside of the invitation over and over again. He suddenly felt faint. He still could not believe that not only did he have family, but now his Grandfather was requesting them to come to where he lives!
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He was so surprised by the sudden change in events, that all he could do was stand there and stare at the paper invitation that was still in his hands. His mouth was open in astonishment, as he pondered on what had just occurred.
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Suddenly, Faith's voice broke into his train of thought. “Oh, Victor! This is such great news!” she exclaimed. “I know how badly that you were always wondering if you had family out there somewhere or not! This is so exciting! What are you going to do about it? When do you want to go and see him?”
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Victor quickly came back to his senses and looked at both Percy and Faith. “Well, I.....I don't know. I mean, I don't know if I should. I mean, I don't know if I could.” Victor said as he took a deep breath. “I mean, he doesn't even know me. He doesn't even know that I exist,” he said. “How on earth would I introduce myself to him? Just go barge into his house and inform him that he has a grandson that he didn't know about?” Victor asked them.
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“Yes!” Percy nearly screamed at him. “Come on, Victor, you have been waiting all of your life for this kind of news! Don't tell me that you're going to back away now that you've found out that you actually do have a family!” he exclaimed.
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“Yeah!” added Faith. “What about all of those times that we talked, all of those times that you told us that if you ever found out that you had a family that you would go and find them? Huh? What about all of that?” Faith asked as she put her hands on her hips and stared sternly at Victor.
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Victor sucked in his breath and slowly exhaled. “Yes, I know what I said to you guys. But now that it's happened, now that it's real, it's a different story,” he answered them.
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“A different story? Come on, Victor! What's so different about it NOW?” Percy asked. “Well.....well, I.....I don't know! It just is!” Victor exclaimed. “I need some time to think about this! It's all such a shock to me, you know!”
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Percy and Faith looked at each other and they both sighed. “Okay, look. We're sorry for trying to push you. We didn't go to think of how much of a shock this might be,” Percy told him. “Yeah, we're really sorry,” Faith added. “We'll leave and let you have some time to yourself to soak in this news. Let us know later what you want to do, okay Victor?” She looked at Percy and nodded her head.
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They both turned and started walking down the path to their homes. “Hey, wait a minute!' Victor said. He went running to where they were on the path. When he reached them he stopped and looked at both of them. “I.....I just wanted to say thank you for letting me know about this. You guys mean the world to me! I'll let you know soon what I've decided to do about it, okay?” “You promise?” asked Faith. “Yes, I promise!” Victor answered.
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He stepped forward and gave both of his friends a quick hug. “I meant what I said when I said that you guys mean the world to me!” Victor told them. Both Percy and Faith smiled at him as they turned and again started walking down the path that would lead them to their homes. They walked along in complete silence.
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Victor watched them walk down the path until he could no longer see them. A smile came across his lips as he thought about his two friends. They have known each other for several years now, since they all had started school. They have always been there for each other, through the good times and the bad. Like the time that Percy's pet frog had gotten hurt and they all took turns nursing it back to health.
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They played together all during their younger years. They had even made a tree house together that they had met in regularly just to sit back and talk about whatever they felt like talking about. Victor sighed as he remembered some of the times that they were in their tree house and he had spoken of the desire to want to someday search to see if he had any living family members.
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He turned and slowly started walking back toward the front door of his home. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks and turned back around. He wasn't in the mood to go into the house. He looked at the invitation that was still in his hands. He was in the mood to think for awhile.
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He turned around and slowly started walking down the path to where he was earlier that day. He just felt like going to his favorite spot to do nothing but think about everything that he had just learned.
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When Victor arrived at his favorite spot, he looked around for somewhere to go and think some more about everything that he had just learned. He looked toward the water and found a huge semi-flat rock that was sticking up above the water's surface.
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He quickly took off his shoes and socks, and waded out into the shallow water to where the rock was at. He climbed up onto the rock and let his feet dangle over the side and into the water.
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He was quickly lost in his thoughts. As he stared out into the water just beyond his feet, he thought about a recurring dream that he had. In this dream he was in a big mansion type of house. He was standing before a man, a tall, HUGE man who looked so mighty that Victor thought for sure that he should have been some sort of Warrior. The man kept looking at him and then finally reached forward and scooped Victor up in his big massive, muscular arms.
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“I've been waiting for you to come!” the man would exclaim, and then Victor would wake up. Every time that Victor would awaken from this dream he would lay in his bed and wonder if this great man was his family. In his dreams it always appeared as though he was.
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Victor lay awake many nights wishing beyond hope that this man really did exist, and that he was, indeed, family. He would wake up from these dreams so happy, that it made him smile for the rest of the day.
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Now here he was, at the waters edge, sitting with his feet soaking in the warmth of the slowly moving current, pondering once again on the dreams that he had. Only now he had a lot more to think about.
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If what Percy had told him was true, that meant that he finally had found his long lost family. But still, all Victor could do was sit there and let thoughts of every kind run through his head. Victor thought about the man who could be his Grandfather.
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What if this man did not like him when he met him?
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What if this man did not want anything to do with him?
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What if this man just really wanted to be left alone?
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What if he wasn't good enough in the eyes of this man to be considered 'real' family?
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Victor had many questions running through his head. Too many, in a matter of fact. He wondered...
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What if this man would not accept him for who knows what reason?
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How come this man never came to look for him?
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What if he met him and then the man decided later that he really didn't like one thing or another about Victor after all, and then didn't want anything to do with him?
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The thought of the possibility of being rejected by this great man was more than Victor could bear. He sat and wondered if it would be better to just not get to know this great man at all.
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That way he wouldn't have to go through all of the hurt that comes with being rejected if the man did not want anything to do with him. That way he could just go on with his life and forget all about ever hearing the news of his Grandfather being alive...
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Or could he?
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What if he met this great man, and the man welcomed him with open arms?
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What if he finally then had family, someone that he really was related to?
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What if he finally had someone that wanted to get to know him inside and out?
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What if he then had someone that he could spend some real quality time with and get to know?
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What if he could have a real personal relationship with this man, like a Father/Son type of relationship?
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What if this man wanted him to come and live the rest of his life with him?
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What if.....?
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What if.....?
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What if.....?
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Victor was growing rather tired. He suddenly became so undecided about trying to make a decision, that he took the invitation that was in his hands, closed his eyes for a few moments, and out of pure frustration, he threw it as far as he could out over the water.
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Suddenly a gentle but firm wind came out of nowhere. Victor quickly opened his eyes and watched as the wind blew the invitation upward just as it was about to hit the water.
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He watched as the invitation was lifted up, and then started gently gliding from side to side, coming down very slowly as though it were a feather, until it rested lightly in his hands.
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Again out of frustration, he threw the invitation, this time as hard as he could. Again came the same wind, seeming to come out of nowhere, but yet seeming to come from every direction all at once.
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It blew a little harder this time, as though with some unseen authority, as it once again caught the invitation and lifted it just as it was about to hit the water.
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Victor watched the invitation with his mouth open in pure wonder. He tilted his head upward as he watched the invitation fly up higher with the wind, and then watched as it swirled about, as though being guided by some giant, unseen hand.
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He followed the path of the invitation, amazed when it landed once again gently in the palm of his hand. Then with a new-found determination, he thrust the invitation straight down at the water.
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This time when the wind caught it, it blew it so far up into the air that Victor thought for sure that it would fly away to some far place, and he would never see it again.
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Instead, Victor watched as the wind caught the invitation and slightly turned it, swirling it around and around ever so slowly. All of a sudden the wind picked up, and the invitation began to turn and turn, over and over again until it was but a mere blur before Victor's eyes.
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Then something totally amazing began to happen. From deep within the midst of the blur came dozens upon dozens of invitations, spilling forth out into the morning sky.
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Suddenly all around Victor there was nothing but copies upon copies of his Grandfathers invitation. Victor watched as the confetti-looking invitations swirled around in the sky. There were now so many invitations floating through the air that it looked as though the scene before him could be a part of some grand Thanksgiving Day parade.
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Victor watched the dozens of invitations for a few more minutes. All he could do was sit there and watch with his mouth open as though in a daze.
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Then, as he sat still watching, he saw the invitations start to blow all around his head, swirling faster and faster. Finally they all came crashing together, lingering for just a moment, suspended in mid air.
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Then, when they had all come together as one whole invitation, they began to slowly glide downward in a spiral, landing gently once again in the palm of Victor's hand.
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All Victor could now do was just sit and stare at his hand in complete utter amazement at the invitation that he had tried so hard to get rid of. He looked upon it with such wonder as to how it could keep landing in his hand, even though he had purposely tried to lose it.
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He looked at it, and briefly wondered if it held some sort of magical power that he was unaware of. Victor was so engrossed in his own thoughts about the invitation, that he did not see the dozens upon dozens of bubbles rising up in the water in front of him.
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It was only as a head popped up out of the middle of the bubbles that were swirling about in front of him, did Victor jump as he gasped at its sudden appearance before his very eyes. “Oh my Gosh! You scared the wits out of me!” Victor exclaimed out loud, more to himself, or so he thought anyhow.
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“Oh!.....So sorry!” answered the beaver that had poked its head up out of the water. Victor watched the animal with eyes wide, not wanting to believe that the beaver had actually just spoken to him.
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All of a sudden, the animal slowly climbed out of the water and onto the top of the rock where Victor sat. The beaver sat for a moment, and then began to shake the water from his entire body, spraying Victor with it in the process.
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A huge flat tail thumped wildly against the rock, his whole body quivering and shaking as though he were doing some wild dance. Finally, his back paws thumped against the rock, as the beaver tilted his head first from one side and then to the other, hoping to get the water out of his ears.
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Victor couldn't help but laugh as he turned his head away from the animal and put his hand up, trying to shield himself from the spray of water that was coming his way. When the beaver was done shaking the water from its fur, he reached up with his front paws and took a set of thick eyeglasses from his eyes.
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He quickly reached over and grabbed the edge of Victor's tee shirt and began to wipe the water from the lens of the glasses. As the beaver wiped at the glasses, he looked intently upon Victor, his eyes getting smaller and smaller as he squinted to get a better look at him. His eyesight was just horrible without his glasses on!
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As the beaver squinted, his lips curled upward, giving him quite the comical face. His top lips were now so curled upward, that his two HUGE front teeth appeared to be taking over much of his face!
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Victor couldn't help but laugh at the face that this animal was now making while trying to get a better look at him without its glasses on. As he chuckled at the sight before him, he reached over and ruffled the hair on top of the beaver's head with his hand.
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“Did I hear you right? Did you just speak to me a moment ago?” Victor finally asked the beaver that was now eye-ing him with a look of amusement on its face.
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“Well......” the beaver started, trying its hardest to use the most sophisticated voice that it could muster up. “Yes, you have heard me correctly, and I must say this.....I've been swimming on top of the water for quite some time now, watching you for what seems like hours. I thought that perhaps I could help you with whatever it is that has your mind so preoccupied. So come on, out with it! Tell me all about it! I'm pretty sure that it has something to do with that piece of paper in your hand that you just can't seem to get rid of!” the beaver stated matter-of-factly, as it perched his thick eyeglasses back on the bridge of his nose, pulling them down just enough to be able to look at Victor over the top of them.
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Victor sighed once again as he poured out the story of the invitation to his Grandfather's house. Then he shared about how he had mixed feelings on going at all. He told the talking beaver all of his fears, along with all of the good that he could find in it as well.
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“Well,” the beaver started to say, “After you shared all of the possibilities, the pros and the cons of going and introducing yourself to this great man who is your Grandfather, it seems to me that there would only be one conclusion that you could possibly come to.....” it finished, its voice trailing off.
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“And that is....?” Victor asked slowly.
*~*
“How on earth would you ever know how this man would react to you coming to him unless you actually tried? After all, isn't it what you've been waiting your whole life for? You should go and see what it is that your Grandfather has to offer. I can guarantee you that you won't regret it! I've heard that he has trained some of the best warriors known to man,” the beaver finished with as much drama in his voice as he now tried to appear to have on his face.
*~* *~*
Victor looked at the beaver with a puzzled look on his face, and then broke out in a huge grin. He couldn't believe that the answer to his dilemma was that easy! All of a sudden he knew what he had to do!
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Suddenly feeling relieved about the decision that he was about to make, Victor let out a huge sigh of relief. Yes! That's what he would do! He would accept the invitation and go to this great man's house and introduce himself as his grandson! He reached over and hugged the beaver, not minding that he was getting himself wet as he did so.
*~* *~*
“Thank you for your advice! Everything that you have said has hit home with me! I'm going to go and share the good news now! Again, thank you!” Victor told the beaver with absolute delight in his voice.
*~* *~*
“You're so very welcome!” the beaver replied as it stood up, and then jumped back into the water, causing a huge splash that hit Victor square in the face...
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*~* ** *~*
Victor's eyes flew open. He hadn't realized that he had fallen asleep. He sat up and discovered that he was still on top of the rock where he had gone to think things over about his Grandfathers invitation.
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He sat dazed for a moment, and then sucked in his breath as he looked around him for any sign of the talking beaver that was still so vividly in his mind. He sat looking around him, searching the water, still not quite convinced that he had been dreaming the whole thing.
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He sat staring out into the water for what seemed like an eternity, and then sighed a deep sigh as he came to the conclusion that he surely must have been, indeed, dreaming about the talking beaver as well as the invitation that had multiplied right before his eyes. With a sudden feeling of disappointment at the discovery that he had been dreaming, Victor looked down at the invitation that was still in his hand.
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As he looked downward, he couldn't help but notice that his shirt was wet. His eyes grew big as he realized that not only was his shirt wet, but it was wet in the exact same spot that had gotten wet in his 'dream'.
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He let out a soft whistle as he excitedly looked around once again for any sign of the talking beaver. Happy - but puzzled - by what he now was not sure was just a dream or not, Victor sat back on the rock, reflecting on the 'conversation' that he had with the beaver in regards to the invitation from his Grandfather.
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Suddenly Victor became very excited about the entire scenario. He was going to go and meet his Grandfather! He was so very anxious! And so very happy! Finally, at last!
*~* *~*
Victor stood up and stretched his back. He knew he must have been sitting there for quite awhile. His legs were feeling kind of cramped, but he didn't care! He now had a Grandfather to go and see! A sudden feeling of excitement came over him and he could not help but let out a big whoop!
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He yelled at the top of his lungs, then danced along the smaller rocks back to the shore to where his shoes and socks were. He couldn't wait to tell Percy and Faith what his decision was!
*~* *~*
Victor excitedly put on his shoes and socks and quickly headed up the path toward Percy's home. He knew enough about his friends to know that Faith would be there as well. He couldn't wait to tell them his good news! He knew both of them well enough to know that they would both be just as excited as he was about it!
*~* *~*
With a burst of new-found energy, Victor hurried about. His mind was still racing, but this time it was racing with thoughts of him going to meet his Grandfather for the first time ever!
*~* *~*
He was so excited about the possibilities of it, that he found himself running to get to Percy's house that much quicker! Looking once again at the invitation that was in his hand, and with the wind gently blowing in his face, he continued on his way...
**
* ~ * ~ *
*~* ** *~*
Victor began running hard down the road, and was almost to Percy's house when all of a sudden his foot hit a tree root that was sticking up out of the dirt on the road. He went flying through the air, landing hard on his ankle.
*~* *~*
He sat on the ground where he landed, rubbing his hurting leg. He pulled down his sock to see a big bruise starting to form on his now rapidly swelling ankle. “Oh, great! Just what I need! An injured foot!” he said in disbelief.
*~* *~*
Shaking his head, he got up off of the ground and tried standing on his injured foot. The pressure that he put on it made it even more tender, so he shifted his weight over to the other foot and lifted the injured one up off of the ground.
*~* *~*
He stood there for a moment trying to balance on one foot and found that he could not do this very easily. Quickly he sat back down on the ground so that he did not put any pressure on his injured ankle.
*~* *~*
He looked around him and saw that there was a big thick stick a few feet away laying in the grass. He got back up on his good foot, and slowly started to hop over to where the stick lay in the grass. He dropped to his knees and grabbed the stick with his hand. He dug the stick hard into the ground and put his weight against it and pulled himself up. He quickly shifted his weight to his good foot and used the stick as a crutch to walk with.
*~* *~*
He got back on the dirt road and started hobbling his way to Percy's house. He tried hard not to think about the throbbing pain that was coming from his foot. He walked slowly, his foot aching more and more with each step.
*~* *~*
He looked back behind him at where the root was sticking up out of the road. Funny, he never noticed that root sticking up out of the road like that before. He shook his head and kept moving forward. He was still in a hurry to get to his friends house.
*~* *~*
After what seemed to be forever, he finally saw his friends house. He could see that both Percy and Faith were in the front yard. Faith was laying on her stomach on a blanket in the grass, and Percy was sitting next to her talking to her. Whatever they were talking about, they must have been in deep thought about it because they did not see Victor walking up to them until he was almost upon them.
*~* *~*
Suddenly, Faith looked up. “Oh my gosh! Victor! What happened to you?” she said with a start. Percy followed her gaze, and saw Victor standing near them using a big stick to help him walk. He jumped up to his feet and ran over to where Victor was. “Are you okay?” Percy asked Victor.
*~* *~*
“Yeah, I'm okay. I stumbled over this big root sticking up in the middle of the road, and I hurt my ankle,” Victor replied. Percy took his arm and helped him over to the blanket that Faith was laying on. Victor set the stick aside and sat down on the blanket. “I just came by to tell you about the decision that I made about my Grandfather,” Victor told them.
*~* *~*
Percy and Faith looked at each other. “Look, Victor. We're sorry for trying to push you into making such a big decision.” Faith said. “No, I'm glad that you did. Otherwise I'd probably still be sitting here just thinking about it and still not doing anything with it ten years from now and regretting it,” Victor replied.
*~* *~*
Faith looked at Percy with wide eyes, then looked at Victor. “Well, come on! Don't keep us waiting! What did you decide?” she asked.
*~* *~*
“Well,” Victor started. “I was down at the waters edge for quite awhile going over all of the pro's and con's of going to my Grandfathers. After a very strange encounter with the invitation and a beaver - which I will tell you both about at another time - I have finally decided that I will never know how my Grandfather feels about me unless I actually go there and find out for myself!” he finished telling them.
*~* *~*
“Yes!” Faith screamed, as she flung herself at Victor to give him a big hug. The sudden weight of her coming at him caught Victor off guard, and they both went tumbling over, off of the blanket, and onto the grass.
*~* *~*
“Hey!” shouted Percy. “Wait for me!” he said as he flung himself at Victor and Faith on the grass. They lay on the grass for a few minutes, laughing with joy at the decision that Victor had made.
*~* *~*
When they finally stopped laughing, they each lay on their back staring up into the sky. Victor was the first one to break the silence. “Hey! Look! You see that cloud?” he asked as he pointed toward the sky. “Why, look! It looks like a sword!” he exclaimed excitedly.
*~* *~*
Both Percy and Faith looked up in the sky to where he was pointing. There was a long slim shaped cloud that looked like a double-edged sharp blade. At one end of the blade shaped cloud, there was a small 'nub' and below that there were more small, thin clouds which curled around toward the blade, like a handle. It appeared as though they were looking at a huge Warrior's sword in the sky!
*~* *~*
“Wow! Look at that!” Faith exclaimed. “What do you suppose it means?” There was silence for a moment and then Percy spoke. “I'll bet that has something to do with Victor's Grandfather! He is a Warrior, after all!” he said, full of excitement. Then they both turned and looked at Victor.
*~* *~*
“What? What are you guys looking at?” Victor asked with a grin on his face. “What are we looking at? Oh my gosh, if you have to wonder...” Faith said to him as she smiled and rolled her eyes.
*~* *~*
“Okay, okay. So maybe it does have something to do with my Grandfather. I don't know!” Victor told them. “Maybe it's a sign!” shouted Percy, as he jumped to his feet. Faith then also jumped up and went and stood by Percy. Now they were both looking down at Victor who was still laying on his back on the grass.
*~* *~*
He propped himself up on his side on one elbow. He reached over and pulled a piece of grass from the ground and put it between his teeth, playing with the blade end of it with his fingers. He let it hang from the side of his mouth as he looked at his friends.
*~* *~*
Finally, he spoke. “A sign? A sign of what?” he asked his two friends. “Well, I don't know! But what if it is a sign of something?” Percy asked. “Well then, I guess that it is. Maybe someday we'll figure out what it was a sign of, if it was in fact, a sign.” Victor answered him.
*~* *~*
“How can you just lay there so calm like that?” Faith asked him. Victor looked at her with a twinkle in his eye, and smiled. “Because my ankle hurts?.....And I'm in no rush to go anywhere?” he asked her teasingly.
*~* *~*
“Oh, that's right! Sorry, Victor. I forgot all about your ankle,” she said as she went and knelt down on the grass by his feet. “Here, let me look at it,” she said.
*~* *~*
Victor turned and sat up. He reached down and pulled his pant leg up. “Here, let's take the sock and shoe off,” Faith told him. She reached down and took his sock and shoe off. “Wow! That's quite the swollen ankle, Victor. Can you walk on it at all?” she asked.
*~* *~*
“Not really. It hurts too much to put a lot of pressure on it,” he answered her. She sighed and looked at Percy. “Well, it looks like you won't be going to see your Grandfather for a few weeks yet,” Percy exclaimed.
*~* *~*
Victor exhaled and slumped his shoulders. “Yeah, I guess so,” he said with disappointment in his voice. Percy and Faith looked at each other. Suddenly Faith spoke up. “No! You've been waiting way too long for this day, Victor!” she scolded him. “We are NOT going to let a little thing like a sore ankle keep you from going to see your Grandfather!”
*~* *~*
“And just how is he going to do that?” Percy asked. “Hobble all the way there on one leg with a stick poking into his arm pit?” he asked. “No,” Faith replied. “And don't get smart, Perseverance!” she told him sharply.
*~* *~*
“Okay. Tell me how he's going to get there then!” Percy said. “Well, my mother has an old wooden crutch with a soft padded end on it so that his arm pit won't get sore. He can use that to walk with to keep most of the pressure off of his ankle,” Faith answered him.
*~* *~*
“Okay, good! It should only take him, a year to get there like that!” Percy exclaimed. Faith shot him a dirty look. “Of course, we will be going with him, silly! After all, when you wrote to his Grandfather, you did mention that 'we' read an article about him and that 'we' were interested in meeting him!” she told Percy. “This way not only does Victor have someone to watch after him, but we can help with anything that he might need on the way.”
*~* *~*
Suddenly the thought of going with Victor to see his Grandfather was sounding really good to Percy. After all, he'd be meeting the greatest Warrior of all time! Plus he was going to meet ROYALTY!
*~* *~*
“Well, okay. If you insist!” he told Faith. They both looked at Victor. He was sitting, staring off into the distance with a sad look on his face. “What do you think, Victor?” Faith asked him.
*~* *~*
“Well, I don't know. It just seems like too much of a hassle. Maybe I should wait until my ankle is better,” he replied with sadness in his voice.
*~* *~*
“Wait until your ankle gets better?” Faith exclaimed. “What if your ankle gets better, and by that time you change your mind about going to meet him?
*~*
What if you lose interest in doing it?
*~*
What if something happens and then you're unable to meet him at all?
*~*
What if he suddenly moves or disappears or something and he can never be found?
*~*
What would you do then?
*~*
What if you missed this opportunity for one reason or another and you never got the chance to do it again? You would end up regretting it for the rest of your life!” Faith told him.
*~* *~*
“Yeah!” Percy added. “You should do it now while you have the chance!” Victor looked at both of them peering at him. He thought about how suddenly his parents were taken from him. There were a lot of things that they never got to do neither. Nor him, for that matter.
*~* *~*
He knew that his friends were right. This was something that he had to do now, while he still had the time to do it, and while he knew that his Grandfather was available and while he still could be found.
*~* *~*
He looked up at his friends and sighed. “Yes, you're right.....both of you are right! I should go and meet my Grandfather now while I still can!” he exclaimed.
*~* *~*
Percy and Faith looked at each other again and grinned from ear to ear. They couldn't believe what they had just heard! Victor was agreeing to go and meet his Grandfather for the first time! They could barely hold their excitement. “Yeah! Woo Hoo!” Faith yelled. “When should we all leave?”
*~* *~*
“Well,” Victor answered her, “How about if we go home and explain that we are going on an adventure for a few days. They're used to us going out and camping and stuff like that for a few days at a time, anyhow. That way they won't worry about us. Then we'll tell them all about it when we get back. We'll leave early tomorrow morning. And don't forget about that crutch!”
*~* *~*
Percy and Faith helped Victor to his feet. “Here's your stick. Be careful on the way home! We don't need any more delays!” Percy told him as he handed him his walking stick.
*~* *~*
Faith gave him a quick hug. “Okay, then. We're going to go home and get rested up. We'll need plenty of rest before we go. Percy, you get out the map and start mapping out the way to the address that is on the invitation. I'll pack the food. Make sure to bring a jacket in case it gets cool at night. I can hardly wait!” Faith said, full of excitement.
*~* *~*
Faith and Victor started walking down the road. Faith lived on the way to Victor's house, so he had her company until then. They walked along quietly for awhile. Faith sighed and asked Victor, “Are you excited about meeting your Grandfather for the first time?”
*~* *~*
Victor was quiet for a moment and then answered her. “Yes, but I'm also nervous, as you can imagine. It's a big step for me. And it could change my life from here on out, either one way or another, either for the good or for the bad. I'm hoping for the good.”
*~* *~*
They walked along until they came to Faith's turn off. She turned and gave Victor another hug. “Go get some rest now. We're going to get an early start tomorrow and you've had quite the day all ready!” she told him.
*~* *~*
He gave her a hug back and waved good-bye as he made his way back down the road to his home. Tomorrow was a big day for him. As he walked along he thought about the possibilities that it would bring. He was still nervous about going, but he was also very excited about it at the same time.
*~* *~*
He quickened his pace to try to get home quicker. The way he figured it, the sooner he went to bed, the quicker morning would come and he would be on his way!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*~**~**~*
The Road To Splendour
*~* 2 *~*
*~* *~*
*~* *~*
It was morning already and Victor was almost ready to go. He didn't think that he would be able to sleep at all, but he actually fell asleep the moment that his head hit his pillow. He felt refreshed, and he had a new excitement running through his body about his upcoming adventure. He couldn't wait to get going!
*~* *~*
He checked, and then double-checked to make sure that he had everything that he needed in his backpack. Finally satisfied that he had everything that he wanted to bring with him, he tied his small sleeping bag to the back of his backpack.
*~* *~*
He was sitting on a bench by the door because he did not want to be walking on his ankle any more than he had to. He bent down and grabbed his shoes to put them on. Though he was anxious to go, he took extra care putting the shoe on his foot with the sore ankle.
*~* *~*
Quickly he grabbed his walking stick that was propped up against the wall next to him, and then he headed out the door. He stopped and shifted the weight of the backpack so that it wouldn't weigh him down more on his sore side. Then with great anticipation, he moved toward the road as quickly as he could possibly go.
*~* *~*
Oh how he wished that he had seen that stupid root sticking up in the road! He tried not to think about how much more faster that he would be able to get to his Grandfather's had it not been for that root that he tripped over.
*~* *~*
Taking a deep breath, he took in the fresh morning air. He loved the aroma of the morning air. He could smell the freshness of the dew on the grass all around him, and he took another deep breath. The crisp freshness of the morning was one of his favorite smells.
*~* *~*
As he walked along, he decided that he would focus on the nature around him instead of his sore ankle. As he walked along, he watched the little critters all around him going about their morning business. He couldn't help but smile.
*~* *~*
He loved going on adventures. He loved camping out and being around nature. As he walked, he was soon lost in thought about his Grandfather.
*~*
He wondered what his Grandfather looked like.
*~*
He wondered what kind of a man he was.
*~*
He wondered how he would react when Victor showed up on his doorstep.
*~*
He was wondering about quite a lot.
*~*
Soon he was at the turn to go up to Percy's house. He turned and started hobbling his way up to the house. When he got close enough to the house, he could see that Faith was already there.
*~* *~*
They both were sitting on the front steps waiting for him. As soon as they saw Victor, they both got up, put their backpacks on their backs and started walking toward him. They were all anxious to get going.
*~* *~*
“Here's that crutch that I was telling you about,” Faith said. She handed Victor the crutch. He threw his stick to the side of the road, and put the crutch into the crook of his arm pit.
*~* *~*
“Good. This will work better than that old stick that I was using. Let's get going,” Victor replied. They headed down the road. “Okay, Percy. You have the map. What's the address of the place that we are going to?” Victor asked.
*~* *~*
“777 Completion Avenue. I've never heard of it, but I know from the map that it's in the center of the village of Splendour, which is about a day and a half's journey,” Percy answered him.
*~* *~*
“Okay, well, let's get a move on it. I want to get as far as we can before dark,” Victor told them. They walked along quietly for a while. Each one was lost in their own thoughts. They walked as fast as they possibly could considering that Victor was walking with a crutch. All of them were excited about their latest adventure.
*~* *~*
“I've brought enough food to last us through dinner tomorrow. We'll have to stop to get food for the way back. I figured that we could stop for lunch around the noon hour,” Faith said.
*~* *~*
“Of course we will have to make as many stops as it takes for Victor to rest also,” Percy added. They both looked over at Victor. He looked back at them and smiled.
*~* *~*
“Don't worry about me. Believe me, I'll let you know when I need a break!” he informed them. They walked along some more, and then Faith broke the silence. “I'm so glad that I had this chance to be able to go with you, Victor. Are you sure that you want us to come with? I mean, if you would rather that we didn't go so that you could have some privacy with your Grandfather, please just say so, and Percy and I will turn around and go back home.”
*~* *~*
“Yeah, it won't hurt our feelings if you want to be alone, Victor,” added Percy. Victor stopped walking for a minute and looked at his two friends.
*~* *~*
“No! Actually, I'm really glad that you both decided to come with me. I could use the company along the way, and I don't feel as nervous with you two coming with me,” Victor answered. “Besides that, if I'm going to meet my Grandfather, I would also like him to meet the two best friends that I have!”
*~* *~*
Both Percy and Faith looked at him and smiled. “You're our best friend too, Victor,” Percy told him. “So have you thought of what you're going to tell him when you get there?” Faith asked.
*~* *~*
“No! I've been thinking and thinking, but I'm not sure of what to say. I mean, what do you say to someone that you've never met before?” he asked.
*~* *~*
“Yeah, I know. That's got to be a really hard one,” Percy told him. “Well, you could always just be you. I've always thought that people make a better impression when they are just being themselves instead of trying to be something or someone that they're not,” Faith added.
*~* *~*
Victor sighed. “Yeah, you're right. I mean, why try to impress someone that you don't even know? He'd probably see right through it anyhow,” he replied. “Yeah, better to be yourself. At least then you'll know how he reacts to the real you,” Percy added.
*~* *~*
They walked along in silence again. The only sound around them was that of nature. Victor hobbled along with his crutch, wishing that he could at least move a little faster. He was getting more excited by the minute the closer that they were getting to the village of Splendour.
*~* *~*
The further away from home that they got, the more dense the forest was becoming on both sides of the road. Victor looked up ahead of where they were walking, and could see the vast mountain range getting closer and closer. His heart was racing faster the more that he thought about being that much more closer to meeting his Grandfather. He could hardly wait!
*~* *~*
He tried with little success to get his legs to move faster. He did not want to injure his ankle any more than it already was. He didn't want any more hindrances keeping him from seeing who his Grandfather was. For the one hundredth time that day, he wished that he had never tripped over that stupid root in the road!
*~* *~*
“It's a little past the noon hour. I think that we should stop here and eat our lunch now,” Faith told them. “Good timing, too. I was just thinking about how hungry I was!” Percy exclaimed. “There's a big log on the side of the road up ahead. We'll stop and sit there while we eat,” Faith said to them. “Okay, I could use a rest for my ankle anyhow,” Victor added.
*~* *~*
They got to the log and sat down. Faith took off her backpack and quickly took out three sandwiches, three pieces of fruit, and three bottles of water. She gave them out to the boys, and they all sat down and ate. Each looked off in the distance as they ate, lost in their own thoughts.
*~* *~*
“Whatcha thinking about, Victor?” Percy asked. “I was thinking about that mountain range up ahead. It's a good thing that we're just outside of the range and it's not too high here, otherwise I would never be able to make it over to the other side with my ankle like this,” he answered.
*~* *~*
“Yeah, I was just thinking about that too,” Faith added. “According to my map, these parts of the mountains are pretty low, so we shouldn't have too much of a problem getting up and over to the other side,” Percy informed them.
*~* *~*
“Okay, good. Lets get this lunch done and rest for a few minutes, and then lets go. I just want to get there!” Victor said. They all finished their lunches, and then sat back on the log stretching their legs and resting.
*~* *~*
“I figured that we could go until about six o'clock, and then we should stop for dinner and find somewhere to get settled for the night,” Faith said as she looked at her watch.
*~* *~*
“That'll give us about five more hours of travel time tonight. If we leave at sun up tomorrow, we should reach the village of Splendour by about two in the afternoon,” Percy said as he folded his map back up.
*~* *~*
“Okay, well, I'm ready to go,” Victor told them. “Let's get going.”
**
* ~ * ~ *
*~* ** *~*
They all got up and put their backpacks on. Victor shifted the weight on his good side again, and they all started down the road once again.
*~* *~*
They walked for what seemed like an eternity. They headed up the small hillside which would lead them to where they needed to go next. Finally Faith told them to stop.
*~* *~*
Victor put his backpack on the ground and sat on it. “Oh, thank goodness! I was beginning to think that six o'clock would never come!” he exclaimed.
*~* *~*
“You and me, both!” Percy chimed in. “Oh, Really. The both of you should take lessons from me!” Faith teased them. “Ha, ha. Funny. You try walking with a stupid crutch!” Victor shot back. “I was only teasing, and you know that!” Faith said. “Okay, okay. Enough of the playing around! I'm hungry! Let's eat!” Percy yelled at them.
*~* *~*
Faith looked at him and stuck her tongue out. She got their meal out of her backpack, and they sat in silence eating their dinner. Victor sat eating, looking around him at the hillside. The brush was dense, with the woods off a little in the distance on both sides. “Look over there,” he said pointing ahead to his left. “We could go over to that little treed area with the opening, and camp out there under the trees for the night,” he told them.
*~* *~*
Faith looked to where he was pointing. “Yeah, that would work. We could start a fire with some smaller twigs and some brush and stay warm,” she said. “Sounds good to me. I'm tired of walking! Time for a rest,” Percy said as he got up and started heading toward the treed area.
*~* *~*
The other two followed him. They got to the trees and started clearing the area for them to lay with their sleeping bags. “Here, Victor. You just sit down on your sleeping bag and let us do the rest. You need to rest your leg. Tomorrow's another day!” Percy told him. “Won't argue with that!” Victor answered.
*~* *~*
Victor sat and watched as Percy and Faith finished clearing their camp site and started gathering brush, small twigs and logs for their camp fire. He watched in admiration as he realized how much his friends really did care for him.
*~* *~*
He thought about how they have always been there helping each other throughout the years, and he couldn't help but smile. He felt very blessed to have such loving and caring friends. He did not regret bringing them with to meet his Grandfather.
*~* *~*
Finally Percy and Faith were done, and they came and laid out their sleeping bags on the ground by Victor. They sat down on them, exhausted from their days journey.
*~* *~*
“We're almost there, Victor! Aren't you excited?” Percy asked him. “Yes! And I'm already wishing that it were tomorrow!” he answered. “What's the first thing that you want to talk to your Grandfather about?” asked Faith.
*~* *~*
“Well, I'm not sure. I mean, of course I'll have to explain to him who I am, but then I was thinking that maybe I would tell him about......”
*~* *~*
“Don't move!” Percy interrupted. Victor looked at him and crinkled his nose at him. “What?” he asked. “I said don't move! There's a snake right behind you, and if anyone makes any sudden moves, it might strike and hit Victor!” he said in almost a whisper.
*~* *~*
Victor's face went pale. He had heard all kinds of horror stories about people getting bitten by snakes. His eyes got wide as he thought about those stories. Without moving his head, he looked at Faith. “Please! Don't move, Victor!” she said in almost a whisper.
*~* *~*
Victor closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed hard. He wasn't going to move at all in any direction. He was too afraid of the serpent to do so. He sat as still as he could and slowed his breathing. He was afraid of making any sudden moves. Or slight moves, for that matter.
*~* *~*
“Okay, it's still a few feet behind you. I'll try to get up real slow and go get that big sharp stick and try to kill it,” Percy told him. Percy started slowly getting to his feet. He kept his eyes on the snake the entire time. He was afraid that if he looked away for even a minute, that the snake might strike when he wasn't looking.
*~* *~*
He finally got up all the way, turned, and very slowly moved his feet toward where the sharp stick lay in the grass. He then bent down real slow and grabbed it in his hand. He slowly made his way back to where Victor was sitting. “Okay, I've never done this before, but I'm going to give it a good stab with the sharp end of the stick. I just hope that I don't miss!” he said very slowly and quietly.
*~* *~*
“Don't you dare miss!” Faith said as loud as she dared to. “Okay, Victor. I know that your ankle is sore, but on the count of three, you're going to have to jump up and move out of the way as fast as possible,” Percy instructed him.
*~* *~*
Victor's eyes got wide again as he realized that he would need to move as quick as lightning in order to get safely out of the reach of the snakes bite in case it were going to strike.
*~* *~*
“Okay. Are you ready?” Percy asked. Victor swallowed hard and slowly nodded. Percy slowly raised his arms until the stick was just above his head. “Okay, remember, on the count of three. One.......Two.......Three!” he shouted as he brought the stick down, sharp end first.
*~* *~*
At the same time that Percy brought the stick down, Victor lunged forward, rolling to his good side. He turned just in time to see the snake lunge toward Percy.
*~* *~*
Victor's mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out of it. He seemed to be frozen with the fear that the snake was going to bite his good friend, Percy.
*~* *~*
Right at that moment when the snake chose to strike, out of nowhere, came a huge bald eagle. The eagle swooped down with faster than lightning speed and scooped the snake up in its talons. Its razor sharp beak bit hard into the snakes head, crushing it. Then it took off just as fast as it had come down to get the snake.
*~* *~*
Victor blinked his eyes and shook his head in amazement. Faith let out a loud gasp. Percy sat hard on his backside, the stick now falling from his hands to the ground. “Did you see that?!? That eagle swooped down and snatched up that snake just as it was getting ready to strike at us!” Victor screamed at them in disbelief.
*~* *~*
“Where did that bird come from?” Percy asked as they all turned their heads toward the sky and watched as the eagle circled high above them.
*~* *~*
They all sat for a few minutes in disbelief watching the eagle as it landed on a thick, lower branch of a tree nearby. It's sharp claws still held the now dead snake against the tree branch, as though to openly make a show of how it so effortlessly overcame the serpent.
*~* *~*
The eagle eyed them as though to tell them that the enemy that had just tried to attack out of the blue with no warning, could very well try to attack again. As though to confirm this, the eagle once again bit down hard into the head of the serpent, crushing it even more thoroughly than before.
*~* *~*
Victor, Percy and Faith sat in awe of what they had just seen, as the sound of the serpents demise came across to them very clearly. The eagle was now watching the three of them with eyes that looked like they could easily pierce right through thick steel. With eyes fixed on them, it bit down hard and quick with its beak, tearing huge chunks of snake meat from the snakes body. It then quickly began eating it.
*~* *~*
“I have NEVER seen such a thing!” Faith exclaimed with amazement in her voice. “How did that eagle know that there was a snake there?” asked Percy. “Well, I heard that they can literally see for miles with those sharp eyes of theirs!” Faith exclaimed.
*~* *~*
“Yeah, but to swoop down and get that serpent just in the nick of time? Did you see the way that eagle crushed the head of the serpent?” Victor asked, still reeling from what had just happened.
*~* *~*
They all three stared again at the eagle, which was now sitting perched on the same branch of the tree. It was just sitting there watching them.
*~* *~*
The three of them were amazed at the birds enormous size. When it moved to stretch its wings out, they could see that the wing span of the massive bird was at least seven feet wide!
*~* *~*
**
* ~ * ~ *
*~* ** *~*
It was now dusk. Victor, Percy and Faith were all laying back comfortably in their sleeping bags, watching the fire crackle before them. Victor looked back over at the tree where the eagle was and saw that it was still there as though it were watching over them.
*~* *~*
He couldn't help but smile whenever he thought about how that eagle had saved them from what could have been a deadly serpent attack meant for him or Percy, or even possibly both of them.
*~* *~*
He turned his head back toward the fire. He liked watching the flames dance around the fire pit that they had made. He lay there watching the flames for hours, tired, but not tired. They all watched the fire silently, in the mood to talk, but not in the mood to talk. They were too busy enjoying the lazy feeling of the relaxation of being around a campfire and camping out.
*~* *~*
The quietness was suddenly broken by the shrill sound of wolves howling nearby. “Listen to that!” Victor said. “It's almost as if those wolves are prowling about, seeking whomever they could devour!”
*~* *~*
“Gee, thanks for that little piece of information that I really didn't want to think about!” Percy said with exaggerated drama.
*~* *~*
As they were quietly talking, they could hear the howling of the wolves more clearly. Victor quickly sat up in his sleeping bag. “It sounds like they're moving closer, as though they are stalking us!” he said.
*~* *~*
“Don't worry. They won't come near us.” Faith told him as she yawned. “How can you be so sure of that, Faith?” asked Victor. “Because I just know!” she replied.
*~* *~*
They lay in silence for a few more minutes when all of a sudden a much louder howl came. All three of them sat up this time. “That one is really close!” Victor exclaimed.
*~* *~*
All of a sudden they could hear twigs snapping close by, as if there was some sort of creature (or wolf!) walking on them and breaking them. They all looked at each other, wondering what they should do about it.
*~* *~*
Suddenly, the eagle swooped down from the tree to where the snapping sound was coming from. A growl, and then a loud yelp came from the wolves mouth that was, indeed, nearby them. In a matter of fact, the wolf was too close for comfort.
*~* *~*
“Did you see that one?!? That eagle came to our rescue again chasing off wolves that are getting too close to us!” Victor exclaimed.
*~* *~*
“Oh my gosh!” Faith joined in. “Okay, so maybe we should just feel safe enough now to go to sleep, right?” asked Percy. “Yes, actually we can. I feel safe with that eagle right by us. I think that it's a sign,” Faith told them.
*~* *~*
“Maybe.....” Victor said slowly as his eyelids closed and he fell fast asleep.
*~* *~*
**
* ~ * ~ *
*~* ** *~*
The screeching of the eagle woke Victor up. He could see that it was just before dawn. He looked to the east and he could see where the darkness of the night was beginning to turn to a subtle light. He quickly focused his eyes, getting ready to get up for the day.
*~* *~*
He loved this time of day. He knew that soon the sky would be turning bright with colors of reds, oranges, and deep pinks. He lay on his back and stretched his legs. He had slept good. He looked toward the tree where the eagle was still sitting perched on the branch. The mighty bird was just sitting there, staring out watchfully over the three of them at their campsite.
*~* *~*
Victor couldn't help but smile. He sat up and looked over to where his two friends were still sleeping. He decided that he would let them sleep for just a short while yet. He wanted to spend some time by himself going over things about his Grandfather. Today was the day that he was finally going to meet him. He could hardly wait.
*~* *~*
With thoughts racing through his mind, Victor reflected back on all that had happened in the last couple of days. Then he thought of the sudden appearance of the eagle. He turned and looked once again at the massive bird. This time when he looked at the eagle, it was as though the birds very eyes were piercing right into Victors soul. For some reason this did not unnerve Victor.
*~* *~*
He looked again to the east, and he could see that the colors in the sky were now starting to come to life. He knew that if he wanted to make good travel time to get to his Grandfather's, that they would have to leave soon.
*~* *~*
He used the crutch as a prop and stood on his feet. “Time to wake up, you sleepy heads!” he said rather loudly. He watched as both Percy and Faith blinked and opened their eyes and slowly looked at him. “Oh wow! Is it morning already?” asked Faith as she yawned. Percy lay in his sleeping bag stretching.
*~* *~*
Without a word, they both got up and stretched some more. After a couple of minutes, they both started rolling up their sleeping bags and getting their backpacks ready to go. “Look, Faith! That eagle is still in the tree watching us. Do you suppose he's been there all night?” Percy asked.
*~* *~*
Victor answered him before Faith could even get a word out of her mouth. “You know, I think that it was. It screeched and woke me up at dawn this morning, and it was still there. I don't think that it's moved all night!”
*~* *~*
They all stood watching the eagle for a moment, and then Faith took out their breakfast. They sat on their backpacks eating, trying to get done in order to start out again on their days journey.
*~* *~*
They finished their meal and started walking once again toward their destination. They reached the top of another hill, and paused to rest for a moment. “Wow! Look behind us! Look at how far we've come in just this short time!” Faith exclaimed.
*~* *~*
Victor and Percy looked behind them to where Faith was pointing. When they looked out over the horizon, they could see all of the valleys and hills that they had traveled through. The morning light was now starting to peek up over those hills, and as it did, the suns rays were bouncing off of the misty air from the fresh morning dew, creating small pockets of morning fog that was hovering lazily over the land.
*~* *~*
The rich colors of the mornings dawn were now more vividly spread out in the sky. It was the most beautiful sunrise that any of them had ever seen. They stood watching it for a few more minutes. No words were needed. The beauty of the morning's sun rising had said it all.
*~* *~*
“We better get going again,” Victor told them. “Yeah, we should. We're so close to our destination now that I'm starting to get excited for you, Victor!” Faith told him as she gave him a quick hug. “Yeah, we're almost there!” Percy added.
*~* *~*
They walked along for a while longer until once again Faith broke the silence. “Okay, we'll stop here and get some lunch,” she said. They sat on their backpacks and ate their lunch.
*~* *~*
Victor heard a noise coming from toward his right and looked to see what it was. He stared in disbelief at what he saw. There in a tree on the side of the road was the eagle that had been watching them all through the night and all that morning.
*~* *~*
“Hey, you guys! Look at that! There's our little friend!” Victor said, his voice full of excitement. Percy and Faith looked to where he was pointing. They both started smiling at what they saw.
*~* *~*
“It is the same one!” Faith said. “I recognize that little mark that it has on its leg! You see that mark on its right leg? It looks kind of like it could be the number seven! I wonder if it has been following us all this time!”
*~* *~*
“I'll bet that it has! I told you guys that we've been seeing signs! There have been a couple of signs ever since we saw that sword shaped cloud in the sky!” Percy said excitedly.
*~* *~*
They finished their lunch and sat watching the eagle for a few more minutes while they rested. “I wonder if that eagle guarded us against any more danger that we were unaware of!” Victor said. “We could have been sitting targets and not even known it!”
*~* *~*
“Yeah! Now there's something to think about!” Percy replied. “Maybe we should pay more attention to what's going on around us,” Victor told them. “I think that would be a good idea. You never know what kind of dangers there may be on the way to our destination!” Faith exclaimed.
*~* *~*
They started walking again, this time more aware of what was going on around them. Every now and then as they walked, they would look up in the sky, and watch as the eagle circled high above them. A couple of times they watched as the eagle flew out ahead of them, and perched itself in a tree along their path.
*~* *~*
“I feel safer for some reason knowing that 'our' eagle is being so watchful!” Faith said. They walked along the road, Victor humming a cheerful sounding tune.
*~* *~*
“Hey! Have you guys noticed that the closer that we are getting to our destination, the narrower the path is becoming?” Victor asked them.
*~* *~*
“Now that you mention it, yeah, I can see that the path is getting more narrow. I wonder what that's all about. I hope that we don't run out of road!” Percy replied. “Well, if we run out of road, we'll just have to rough it,” Faith told him.
*~* *~*
They walked again in silence until Victor again spoke. “Look at the size of that hill ahead of us!” Percy and Faith looked up their path.
What was ahead of them was the biggest hill yet that they have had to climb.
*~* *~*
“Well, that should take us a couple of hours to get up!” Percy joined in. “But on the brighter side, according to my map, the village of Splendour should be just beyond that hill!” he said as he put his map back into the side pocket of his backpack.
*~* *~*
“Okay, well, I want to sit down and rest for just a minute then before we tackle it,” Victor said. “I'm getting tired of this crutch!”
*~* *~*
They sat down on their backpacks and rested for a few minutes. Victor noticed that the eagle was sitting perched in a tree nearby.
*~* *~*
After feeling refreshed from their rest, they once again got up and headed toward the massive hill that was before them. “You have no idea how badly I wish that this mountain of a hill would just disappear and fall into the sea somewhere or something! It's in my way!” Victor said while trying to catch his breath. “Come on, almost there!” Percy encouraged him.
*~* *~*
Finally after what seemed like an eternity, they were nearing the top of the hill. “Finally! We're near the top! Thank goodness it will be a lot easier coming down the hill than it was going up!” Victor exclaimed.
*~* *~*
They took a few more steps, and found themselves at the top of the hill. They stood at the top, panting hard and trying to catch their breath. Then looking up ahead of them on their path, they stood in awe at what it was that they saw on the other side of the hill that they had just climbed.
*~* *~*
“Woo Hoo! We're here! And I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life!” yelled Faith. “Me, neither!” added Percy.
*~* *~*
“I can't believe that my Grandfather lives somewhere there!” Victor exclaimed, so full of excitement now that he could hardly catch his breath.
*~* *~*
What they now saw before them was the village of Splendour settled down in the valley just beyond the foot of the hill. What they were looking upon was so full of life, that the entire village appeared to be vivid and so full of color from where they were standing at the top of the hill.
*~* *~*
There was just something about this particular place that appealed to them, that drew their eyes to this village. They found that they could not tear their eyes away from it. It certainly was the most beautiful village that they had ever seen.
*~* *~*
The sun was now shining high in the sky. Still, they could only stand there and gaze upon what lie ahead of them. From where they were standing, the village of Splendour appeared to be shining, as though made of the purest of gold.....
*~* *~*
*~* *~*
* *
excerpt taken from Victor E. Standings and the search for the Lost Key
copyright 2008 Mary Scanlon